Truck buyers in Europe have a new Toyota Hilux on the horizon, bringing a bit more power and efficiency to the popular pickup. The company just released a mild-hybrid version that adds a healthy amount of thrust to the already brisk diesel powertrain.
This Hilux iteration features a 48-volt mild hybrid system with a single motor incorporated into the powertrain, adding an extra 16 horsepower (12 kilowatts) and 48 pound-feet (65 Newton-meters) of torque to the mix. It's fused with Toyota's turbocharged 2.8-liter diesel four-cylinder engine which produces 201 hp and a stout 369 lb-ft of twist on its own. A small 48V lithium battery powers the motor, and being a mild-hybrid system, there is no electric-only mode.
Thus equipped, Toyota says the Hilux Hybrid 48V is five percent more efficient at the pump versus the standard diesel powertrain. This is partly due to an enhanced stop-start system that is said to improve driving in heavy stop-and-go traffic. Thanks to the electric motor, the engine can remain off a bit longer in extremely slow situations. Toyota also sets the diesel's idle down to 600 rpm to sip less fuel. It's worth noting that, while the automaker cites a five percent bump in efficiency, specific stats regarding fuel economy aren't available yet.
The new Hilux Hybrid 48V offers more than just a tweaked powertrain. The electrified pickup gets Toyota's Multi-terrain Select system that includes six driving modes: Dirt, Mud, Rock, Sand, Deep Snow, or choose Automatic and let the truck decide what's best. To help ensure the Hilux lives up to its off-roading reputation, engineers took extra steps to waterproof the electrical bits. The hybrid truck can wade through 27.5 inches of water.
This new Hilux hybrid isn't as brisk as the Toyota Tacoma hybrid offered in North America, which gains the 2.4-liter I-Force Max powertrain good for 326 hp. Like the Hilux, efficiency figures haven't been released for the Taco, so it remains to be seen which rig is more frugal at the pump. Autocar reminds us that the standard Hilux diesel already has a WLTP certification of 29.7 miles per gallon.
For buyers in Europe, the 2024 Hilux Hybrid 48V goes on sale midway through 2024 exclusively in Double Cab format.
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